When most people think of pairing cheese with something, wine seems like the obvious choice. Janet Fletcher has other ideas. In her newest book, Fletcher explores the courtship between craft beers and artisan cheeses. We, at The Cupboard, are lucky enough to have this talented self employed food writer visiting us this Saturday.

After studying at the Culinary Institute of America and working in kitchens for several years, Janet found her passion for food writing in her mid-twenties. Since then she has written several books on cheese and produce. She has also written for the San Francisco Chronicle and various specialty food magazines. This is her first book to touch on the unique pairing of beer and cheese. What better city for her to visit than Fort Collins, and its six micro breweries? Janet is currently finishing her next book, which delves into sustainability in the California wine industry.

When asked, “What is the most used tool in your cupboard?” Janet said her stainless steel bench scraper and her v-slicer.

We are looking forward to hosting Mrs. Fletcher this Saturday, August 31st from 1-3pm. Joining her will be our local cheese shop, The Welsh Rabbit.

Infused with the essence of almonds, this winning pear tart is bound together with a cake-like batter that replaces the traditional crust. It keeps well at room temperature for up to four days. Serve plain for breakfast or brunch or with whipped cream or crème fraiche for dessert. [Read more…]

If you have strolled by our candy case, you have seen and hopefully tasted the artful, melt in your mouth truffles hand-crafted by Robin Autorino. During our August Foodie Walk (Friday August 16th from 5-8p.m.) you can try Robin’s delectable chocolates and learn about her unexpected path to becoming an award winning chocolatier.

Robin Autorinoimage courtesy of robinchocolates.com

Robin started out in the Navy and travelled the world. 14 years of service provided her incredible opportunities to live, work, and travel over-seas. The next chapter of her life formed around working for various tech companies in Northern Virginia during the Internet boom. But this was not her passion. Her son was grown and forging his own life, so Robin began to look for the next adventure. Fortunately for all of us chocolate lovers, her search lead her to Northern Colorado to start a new life in Boulder and begin training to be a professional chef. While in school she spent part of her time studiying in Avignon, France, where she studied with Michelin star chefs and at a local pâtisserie. It was her experience working in the local pâtisserie that sparked her desire to become a pastry chef. Ironically, Robin had been allergic to chocolate all of her life. When it came time for her to taste chocolate in front of the French chef, Robin wasn’t about to expain her allergies. She just took a bite and was ready to suffer through the consequences. To her amazement, no allergic reaction came. The door to working with chocolate was open!

Over the next several years Robin worked to develop her craft in the pastry kitchens of a number of landmark restaurants. Among these are Flagstaff House and Dushanbe Tea House in Boulder as well as The Brown Palace Hotel in Denver. During this time she also interned at Tru in Chicago. In her free time she began experimenting with making molded chocolates. A request from a local florist in 2008 to make chocolates for Valentines was quickly heeded, and Robin Chocolates was born.